With the increasing popularity of third generation high-speed wireless services and the multifunctional mobile devices that enable them, it can be expected that the daily usage time may continue to rise. As users become more accustomed to anytime-anywhere high speed data network access, the battery life of mobile devices may be a driving factor in determining the usage time. Consequently, the battery life will likely rise in importance as one of the major selling points for individuals making purchasing decisions. Market research indicates that consumers realize that powerful, new applications may involve extending battery life, and these consumers will likely be demanding these improvements.
In addition to improvements in battery technology, current efforts to extend battery life focus around various aspects of the design of mobile devices affecting battery consumption. Examples of such efforts can include improvements in the energy efficiency of radio-frequency (RF) components, displays, and digital electronics including various processors and logic circuits.
In parallel to these endeavors, there may be additional room for battery life improvement by the optimization of the mobile device sleep cycles. There are several factors which may play a role in the dynamics of the sleep cycles of mobile devices in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) networks. Some of these factors have been standardized, while others may depend on the particular implementations on the network and on a particular mobile device.
However, conventional techniques have not yet taken advantage of all of the implementation-specific mechanisms which can affect the sleep cycle during mobile device idle modes and therefore extend their battery life.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to implement techniques within a mobile device, which are adaptable to a variety of UMTS networks and which can extend the operational time of the mobile device's battery.